How Are You Doing With Your Exercising?

By Daphene Baines

Exercising, in this article, is a reference to moving your body for the primary sake of burning calories. To take control of your health requires moving your body. The following are four important ideas supported by the Aerobic and Fitness Association of America:

1. Develop a regular schedule. You need to work out at least three to five times a week. The following are several reasons to work out:

- It’s fun

- It's a great way to make new friends

- It keeps you looking good

- It helps you learn new skills and improve your coordination

- It is good for your internal organs (e.g., heart, lungs, and circulation)

- It helps you get strong by increasing muscle strength and balance

- It makes you feel good by releasing endorphins (i.e., the chemical that creates a natural high or feeling of well-being)

- It pleases God

Just like you schedule work, doctor appointments, and other important tasks, you should schedule working out. I suggest you get up early, and get it out of the way. Of course anytime of the day will work. As Nike says, in their commercials, "Just Do It!"

2. Use energy. Have you ever seen someone at the gym talking on their cell phone, as they were working out? Chances are they were not using enough energy.

You have to burn energy to manage your weight and health. Running, jumping jacks, kickboxing, and other high impact routines are good but are not the only ways of burning the energy needed to lose or control weight.

You can burn calories by walking, if you do it with enough energy. Instead of taking a casual stroll through the neighborhood, after dinner, power walk. Putting a little more effort into what you do will make a tremendous difference in the amount of energy you use.

3. Exercise three to five times a week. At least thirty minutes of moving for three to five times a week is a good goal. Experts now say that the minutes can be divided up into three ten minutes segments.

In other words, if you can’t get at least thirty minutes at one time – break it up. You can do ten minutes in the morning, at lunch walk briskly for ten minutes, and then at dinner time do some form of energetic moving for ten minutes. That’s a great way to get it in.

Instead sitting down after dinner, try getting up and moving. It is extremely difficult to lose "it," if you don’t move "it." Imagine you are in the military and a Drill Sergeant (or Dr. Baines – smile) is behind you saying, “Move it, move it, move it!”

4. Find comfortable exercises. Everyday activities with the proper energy can be used as a work out. Sweeping, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, playing with the children, raking, washing the windows, and the like are examples of everyday activities that can be used as a form of moving.

Of course there are other forms of working out like jogging, walking, skating, swimming, dancing, basketball, tennis, bicycling, "praise – ercise," and many other forms of exercise. Be adventurous, and try something that makes you move.

In summary, having a regular schedule for working out, putting energy into the movements, doing the work out for the proper length of time, and finding the movements that you are comfortable with are all important in taking charge of your health.

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